7 Sep 2014

BLOGGING TIPS: Motivation, inspiration and downright copying

DEALING WITH BLOGGER'S BLOCK
As a blogger it can be pretty difficult to maintain motivation, especially if you post every day or multiple times a week. Every so often I'm prone to a bout of the dreaded "blogger's block" and find it really difficult to turn a thought in to a coherent blog post. I've found a few things that help me keep on top of this, one of which being my growing list of topic ideas that I've started noting down on my phone. One of the things I find useful for planning posts is starting with a few relevant seasonal posts - such as gift guides at Christmas time - then starting to pad out my schedule from there with things that I post on a regular basis like outfits, reviews and recipes.

Another thing that I like doing to keep me going is having a regular feature that I post on a weekly or monthly basis. For example, I started out with weekly wish lists on a Wednesday, then moved on to "Desert Island Essentials" on a Sunday and at the moment I have my "Tuesday Ten" post. Some of my monthly features included playlists, blogs I love and Instagram catch up posts which are pretty easy to put together.

I find that one idea can turn in to ten sometimes, so it's handy to keep a note of any ideas that pop in to your head so that you can refer back to them at a later date. Another idea could be using something like a spider diagram which can encourage you to develop a multitude of ideas based on or around one topic. Let's use the example of Christmas again... You could have Christmas recipes, fun DIY gift ideas, gift guides for various family members, sharing your Christmas traditions, outfit posts with super cheesy Christmas jumpers and so much more!

FINDING INSPIRATION
Nowadays there are so many different sources when looking for inspiration, if you're struggling then you should definitely try to make use of them! I for one love Pinterest right now, which I'm barely off of, but even simple things like going for a walk, reading a book or spending time with friends can help spark an idea for a great post. I also love finding inspiration in magazines as they often show trends that I hadn't previously considered worth bothering about in a way that's more relatable, which I can then interpret in my own way. If I'm feeling a bit down I tend to go shopping, and even if I don't spend anything I will usually come away feeling much better with an idea or two up my sleeve. Just look around you, you'll find something that will grab your interest.

INSPIRED VS COPIED
Other bloggers often provide a great source of inspiration, but it's so unbelievably important not to downright copy their work. This has become a bit of a common issue in the blogging world recently and I really hate that people think it’s okay to pass off the hard work of other’s as their own. It’s fine to be inspired by someone, but make sure that you put your own spin on it. Imagine it was your work - which you had spent hours on - that was being passed off without credit. To help protect yourself against this be sure to add a copyright notice to your blog which will give you a legal leg to stand upon should someone try to copy your work. Elaine from XOMISSE has some fantastic resources regarding copyright for bloggers.

How do you stay motivated & beat the dreaded blogger's block? It can be a difficult process so be sure to share your tips for staying motivated & finding inspiration!

NEXT WEEK: Blogging on a budget - making the most of what you know, own and can do for free!

1 comment

You're right! I sometimes go on Pinterest to find inspirations or some other blogs. However, if i feel like the blog post that some bloggers posted is something thats worth writing, I will give credits to the original post and won't just copy it straight from their work. I obv will use my own words, opinions, critics, and personality :) thanks for your advice, they literally mean a lot!

It means so much to me that people take the time to comment, and I really appreciate each and every one. I try to reply to all of them but I am pretty forgetful, so if you have a burning question that you would like me to answer please drop me a tweet @colourscarousel or email me!

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